MMOSide Chat - How Often Do You Stop And Help New Players In An MMO? | MMORPG.com

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MMOSide Chat - How Often Do You Stop And Help New Players In An MMO? | MMORPG.com

Community is one of the major selling points of any MMORPG. Whether or not a community has a good reputation amongst players is something many look towards when deciding whether the game is worth their time. A helpful community, espeically when dealing with new players can be key to building a positive reputation within the gaming world. So how often do you help a new player when you see them asking for help?

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Viper482

Today's MMOs are so easy and solo oriented new players rarely need help. When they do it is typically just a question over chat.

KroxMalon

Helping new players to overcome a raid in FF14 is something I really enjoy. I play a Paladin as my main so I get to lead the pack through the dungeon. I like to take a bit of time make sure we're all on. the same page if I see a 'Sprout' in the group.

This is not always possible with players that like to rush through, and even get upset at me if I don't go as quickly as they'd like or make a mistake. Zero tolerance and the poisonous side of The Internet definitely seep in more often than I'd like.

KroxMalon

Viper482 said:

Today's MMOs are so easy and solo oriented new players rarely need help. When they do it is typically just a question over chat.

Yea Even FF14 is clear linear guide straight to the end, not much adventure to be had. It's all about the quick dopamine hit of purple loot success now, sadly.

goozmania

About a month before I quit FFXIV, I stopped and gave 3 random new players who were crafting 5,000,000 gil.

Someone had given me 100,000 when I was new, a couple months earlier, and I used it to become one of the wealthiest players on the server, in less than half a year. /toot_toot

cheyane

I always ask if I see people in trouble so all the time but currently I am soloing through an MMORPG because hardly anyone plays it anymore.

Sovrath

You don't really get this that much these days but "all the time." Whenever someone needs help, if I think I can help, I help them.

Rungar

I usually help anyone who asks for help but sometimes you can only help someone by not helping them. 

A lot of people are professional parasites now and its getting harder to discern who actually wants to put the work in and who just wants an easy ride. 

this is why i prefer static servers to monstrosities like the megaserver

Theocritus

In EQ1 I used to help alot...I went to the newbie areas and would buff players with HP buffs to help them and would heal them if needed....Once WoW came around (and those after) I just didnt feel the need anymore as the games were pretty easy.....Also when I first started WoW, buffs lasted like 5 minutes so they were pretty much a waste of my time and theirs.

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Nebless

If a game has it I'll always monitor the new player chat channel and keep my eye on the global one too and answer peoples questions.

If I do come across someone out playing I'll generally stop and watch to see if they need a hand.

Iselin

I do a lot of trivial "drive by" helping whenever someone near me is having a rough time. But then that's easy for me because I usually play a healer-DPS hybrid in any game where I can spec that way. Throwing them a quick heal is usually all they need.

In dungeon PUGs I do it but only if someone asks for help or says it's their first time doing that dungeon. Noobs playing badly or struggling in groups can get snippy if you give them pointers that they didn't ask for so I don't bother.

Mendel

I probably helped the last 'new player' I saw, maybe in 2010 or 2011.  There really aren't 'new players' anymore; everyone who plays an MMORPG has probably already cut their teeth on another MMORPG.  There's really not much difference between game mechanics.  The only thing they might want help with is finding the next place to hunt.

koldmiser

I'm always willing to help when I see requests in chat, especially with new players. Be it a guide to get them somewhere, help with a tough fight, or questions about gameplay.

The one thing I will not do is just give out money. So many times that turns into that person begging for more.

Albatroes

This is definitely one thing I miss from the older mmorpg days. In 90% of today's mmorpgs, there's 0 reason to really stop and help someone and in some, 'helping' can be seen as 'griefing.' Sure, some of them have the whole 'go down to their level' thing but honestly, the appeal used to be you being high level and kind of showing off. Back in the days of old FFXI, it wouldn't be uncommon for me to stop by a grind party to heal a little if I had time otw to a HNM or to something else whiling chatting with the group and so on cause I would think back to my days when I used to level there and how tough/annoying/etc it could be. In short, today's mmorpgs lack empathy.

xpsync

Been helping players in need ever since i started playing mmorpg's, players helping players is a core value among mmorpg peeps, partly what it's all about.

Although it isn't as common since solo mmorpg's took root.

AC2 was common, EQ/EQ2 very common, SWG all the time, and OG wow drive by buffs, then BC onward not really and in every other mmorpg it disappeared as it wasn't as needed anymore, it was a blast in classic with the return of the drive by buffs.

Was good to feel that (all strangers) again, players respecting other players and helping each other out again, even if it was for short time.

Much of the problem of trying to find the right people to play with is the selfish af attitude so many players have now, and the bigger problem are the tourist players, new shiny they're gone, might come back maybe not.

TwistedSister77

Helping these days gives me the most enjoyment in the game.  Of course chat, but usually in combat.

In PvP games, really enjoy protecting new players from gankers/griefers... gank the gankers.  It pisses off gankers so bad    I savor the hate messages from them

I've made a bunch of friends by not only helping, but chatting for a bit and giving advice... a bit of gold/potions.  Goes a long way to welcoming someone to the game.

Sal1

I just helped a new player a few hours ago. I was in Neverwinter and doing a Daily in the Tyranny of Dragons Campaign. If you don't know Neverwinter you sometimes have to wait for the dragons to spawn to do the quest.

I was in Icespire Peak waiting for the dragon to spawn. A new player asked for help in a dungeon called Miner's something or other. I said if you wait 3 minutes and we kill this dragon I can help you out.

She was a Devoted Cleric (Healer) and lower level. I remember sometimes struggling with that mini dungeon as a support character. So I helped her out.

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BruceYee

Some games are better designed to help players than others. It's almost like they design it to be a chore rather than something you can easily do. If they took the time to design cool systems or even the most basic features like xp boost or increase currency gain for the new player I'm sure more people would do it.

W101 help systems is the best I've ever experienced in any game.

Quizzical

KroxMalon said:

Helping new players to overcome a raid in FF14 is something I really enjoy. I play a Paladin as my main so I get to lead the pack through the dungeon. I like to take a bit of time make sure we're all on. the same page if I see a 'Sprout' in the group.

This is not always possible with players that like to rush through, and even get upset at me if I don't go as quickly as they'd like or make a mistake. Zero tolerance and the poisonous side of The Internet definitely seep in more often than I'd like.

Players who are at endgame don't really count as "new" anymore.

Darksworm

Almost never. Why should I waste my time helping people when they can get it faster with a quick Google. Games aren't what they used to be. Everything is breadcrumbed and documented now. This is a waste of time, and I no longer use the internet as my primary source of socialization. Real life exists for me.

Cryomatrix

I help in sc 2 when my diamond ass notices a blunder by my opponent. In path of exile, if domeone asks for help, ill hook em up, but if anyone begs for items  i dont. 

TwistedSister77

Cryomatrix said:

I help in sc 2 when my diamond ass notices a blunder by my opponent. In path of exile, if domeone asks for help, ill hook em up, but if anyone begs for items  i dont. 

I just can't do competitive SC 2,  it doesn't relax me.  I watch the top players, stream... amazing... especially against multiple opponents that are ranked.

Can IBM Blue beat them?  maybe on a rush... but on a multi player free for all... doubtful (limiting Blue to the cursor rule and cursor speed and shortcuts of human constraints).

I don't know if there are any cool Computer vs players maps... I always loved those with my friends in the original (lan in my appartment).

Po_gg

I love to help newbies, because it helps in the forming a good community overall.

How often do I help them nowadays? Sadly, not too often... since as Mendel said above, there really aren't too many "new players" anymore, at least in those games I play.

Last time comes to mind was maybe in CO a few months ago, talking a newbie through the Nighthawk event chain since he wasn't familiar with the city yet, and in a sense taking through as well since one of the fights can be tough on the low levels.

LotRO used to have a couple newbies too, but the community is really good, so the "competition" is strong

People just love the help there.

Lithuanian

On my main, lvl.130 Minstrel - frequently. Typically asking in Lotro's /World chat - "Anybody needs help with questing?". Or just riding to Barrows to see if someone is in trouble.

Sometimes it's a race - who would help first. Sometimes no players in need of help.